The Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation (MRVC) is looking to augment the existing corridor between Vasai and Panvel via Diva. According to sources, the MRVC officials have prepared a plan and will be making efforts to ensure that it is included in the Union Budget.
The move would provide a boost to areas adjoining the corridor, which are not connected by the city’s suburban network. The MRVC has submitted the plan to the Central Railway and the State government.
Automatic signalling
The MRVC proposes to install automatic signalling on the section between Vasai and Diva and build a 4.5-km-long chord line between Nilaje and Kopar. “The new chord line will cut the journey time of trains travelling between Vasai and Panvel by around 15 to 20 minutes,” a MRVC official said.
The MRVC was initially planning to build a new suburban rail corridor between Virar and Panvel at an approximate cost of ₹6,500 crore under the Mumbai Urban Transport Project 3A (MUTP 3A). However, according to sources, lack of funds led to the project being shelved from MUTP 3A. A revised proposal to build the corridor from Vasai was also not considered by the Railway Ministry.
According to the new plan, the project will cost ₹1,087 crore and take four years for completion. Eleven additional stations are proposed to be developed and air-conditioned locals will operate on the corridor.
At present, the corridor is used by long-distance passenger trains and a few mainline electric multiple unit services. However, it is the mainstay for freight trains and provides a crucial link between Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust and Delhi.
Senior railway officials said in addition to the chord line and the signalling system, the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC) will be developed. Freight trains will use the DFC and free up space on the existing corridor. “Once our project is complete and the DFC is operational, we would have a capacity to run 12 trains per hour as opposed to around 40 trains per day in one direction,” a senior railway official said.
The corridor will also provide rail connectivity to industrial areas such as Bhiwandi and Taloja. According to sources, the MRVC officials are in talks with the State government to work out a transit-oriented development plan for the new stations on the corridor.
